Chapter 2

Zoe was livestreaming downstairs. I stayed in the bedroom and logged into her stream on my secondary account.

The viewer count had already surpassed a hundred thousand and was still climbing.

Zoe was leaning against Ryan's chest, happily eating that blueberry cake.

Someone asked if she and Ryan were really a couple.

Zoe casually nudged Ryan with her elbow.

"Babe, the fans are asking—are we a real couple?"

The gesture was so natural.

Zoe used to say that she and Ryan had been around each other for so long that certain habits had just formed. She told me not to mind it, to just think of her as one of the guys.

On screen, Ryan ruffled her hair.

He smiled and said, "Of course we're a real couple."

After he said it, Zoe scooped up a bite of cake and held it to his lips.

Ryan didn't hesitate. He opened his mouth and ate it.

But I remembered—Ryan didn't like sweets.

Every time I bought cake and asked him to try a bite, he always refused.

If I asked too many times, he'd get irritated.

Eventually, I stopped asking.

So it wasn't that he didn't like sweets. He just didn't like them from me.

The comments were flying fast.

Several mentioned me.

"What's the deal with you and Emma? Is she delusional, or is she the other woman?"

Ryan saw it.

"What relationship..."

I held my breath.

I wanted to know too.

After seven years together, what exactly were we to Ryan?

After a long pause, he smiled and said, "No relationship. I don't know her."

I froze. Then I laughed.

Seven years, and all it amounted to was "I don't know her."

"LOL, she literally posted your photo saying you were her boyfriend and that you didn't have an account. This woman can't say a single true thing."

Back then, people had tried to dig up Ryan's account.

I told them he'd never registered one and didn't use these platforms.

That was the truth.

But now, the truth had become evidence used against me.

My heart felt like a chunk had been carved out of it.

Ryan had no intention of explaining anything for me.

Instead, it was Zoe who smiled and said:

"Let's not bring up other people in the stream. Talk about something else."

Ryan gave her an indulgent smile. He ruffled her hair again.

"Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

Zoe blinked playfully.

"Then let's talk about how we got together."

"Okay." Ryan agreed.

I exited the livestream.

After the room went quiet, the laughter from downstairs became even clearer.

Two hours later, Ryan knocked on the bedroom door.

He wasn't consulting me. He was informing me.

"It's too late now. Let Zoe stay here tonight. She'll sleep in the guest room."

After he said it, Zoe peeked out from behind him and draped herself over his shoulder.

She smiled at me.

"Emma, you don't mind, right? If you really mind, I can head home now."

Ryan frowned.

"It's this late. It's not safe for a girl to go back alone."

Zoe glanced at me, her tone loaded with meaning:

"Well, unsafe or not, if Emma doesn't agree, I'll still have to leave."

"You're not going anywhere." Ryan's voice left no room for argument. "You're sleeping here."

"But Emma..." She paused at just the right moment, leaving the rest unsaid.

Ryan looked at me.

"Emma, you—"

I cut him off.

"Whatever. I don't care."

Ryan let out a breath of relief.

"See? She doesn't mind."

"Then thank you, Emma," Zoe said. "Don't worry. I really do think of him as a brother. Nothing's going to happen."

I said nothing.

Ryan came back into the room, grabbed some clothes, and was heading for the bathroom.

I called out to him. "Ryan."

He turned to look at me.

But I didn't continue.

My phone screen was still lit.

On it was the message I'd just sent to a real estate agent.

This house—the one we'd planned to get married in—I didn't want it anymore.